God has shone in our hearts,
to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
1
2 Corinthians 4:6
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of Creation
Bless the Lord all created things:
who is worth to be praised and exalted for ever.
Bless the Lord all people of the earth:
who is worth to be praised and exalted for ever.
O people of God bless the Lord:
bless the Lord you priests of the Lord,
Bless the Lord you servants of the Lord:
who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Bless the Lord all you of upright spirit:
bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart.
Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit:
who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
who is worth to be praised and exalted for ever.
Bless the Lord all people of the earth:
who is worth to be praised and exalted for ever.
O people of God bless the Lord:
bless the Lord you priests of the Lord,
Bless the Lord you servants of the Lord:
who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Bless the Lord all you of upright spirit:
bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart.
Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit:
who is worthy to be praised and exalted for ever.
Song of the Three 35ff
3 The Opening Prayer
The night has passed and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be kept
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever. Amen.
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever. Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each.
1 Blessed are those who consider the poor and needy; •
the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble.
2 The Lord preserves them and restores their life,
that they may be happy in the land; •
he will not hand them over to the will of their enemies.
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed; •
their sickness, Lord, you will remove.
4 And so I said, ‘Lord, be merciful to me; •
heal me, for I have sinned against you.’
5 My enemies speak evil about me, •
asking when I shall die and my name perish.
6 If they come to see me, they utter empty words; •
their heart gathers mischief;
when they go out, they tell it abroad.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me, •
against me they devise evil,
8 Saying that a deadly thing has laid hold on me, •
and that I will not rise again from where I lie.
9 Even my bosom friend, whom I trusted,
who ate of my bread, •
has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be merciful to me •
and raise me up, that I may reward them.
11 By this I know that you favour me, •
that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 Because of my integrity you uphold me •
and will set me before your face for ever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, •
from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
the Lord will deliver them in the time of trouble.
2 The Lord preserves them and restores their life,
that they may be happy in the land; •
he will not hand them over to the will of their enemies.
3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed; •
their sickness, Lord, you will remove.
4 And so I said, ‘Lord, be merciful to me; •
heal me, for I have sinned against you.’
5 My enemies speak evil about me, •
asking when I shall die and my name perish.
6 If they come to see me, they utter empty words; •
their heart gathers mischief;
when they go out, they tell it abroad.
7 All my enemies whisper together against me, •
against me they devise evil,
8 Saying that a deadly thing has laid hold on me, •
and that I will not rise again from where I lie.
9 Even my bosom friend, whom I trusted,
who ate of my bread, •
has lifted up his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be merciful to me •
and raise me up, that I may reward them.
11 By this I know that you favour me, •
that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 Because of my integrity you uphold me •
and will set me before your face for ever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, •
from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
1 As the deer longs for the water brooks, •
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; •
when shall I come before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my bread day and night, •
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’
4 Now when I think on these things, I pour out my soul: •
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God,
5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, •
among those who kept holy day.
6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, •
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7 O put your trust in God; •
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
8 My soul is heavy within me; •
therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan,
and from Hermon and the hill of Mizar.
9 Deep calls to deep in the thunder of your waterfalls; •
all your breakers and waves have gone over me.
10 The Lord will grant his loving-kindness in the daytime; •
through the night his song will be with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
11 I say to God my rock,
‘Why have you forgotten me, •
and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresses me?’
12 As they crush my bones, my enemies mock me; •
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’
13 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, •
and why are you so disquieted within me?
14 O put your trust in God; •
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; •
when shall I come before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my bread day and night, •
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’
4 Now when I think on these things, I pour out my soul: •
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God,
5 With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, •
among those who kept holy day.
6 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, •
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7 O put your trust in God; •
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
8 My soul is heavy within me; •
therefore I will remember you from the land of Jordan,
and from Hermon and the hill of Mizar.
9 Deep calls to deep in the thunder of your waterfalls; •
all your breakers and waves have gone over me.
10 The Lord will grant his loving-kindness in the daytime; •
through the night his song will be with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
11 I say to God my rock,
‘Why have you forgotten me, •
and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresses me?’
12 As they crush my bones, my enemies mock me; •
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’
13 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, •
and why are you so disquieted within me?
14 O put your trust in God; •
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
1 Give judgement for me, O God,
and defend my cause against an ungodly people; •
deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked.
2 For you are the God of my refuge;
why have you cast me from you, •
and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresses me?
3 O send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, •
and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling,
4 That I may go to the altar of God,
to the God of my joy and gladness; •
and on the lyre I will give thanks to you, O God my God.
5 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, •
and why are you so disquieted within me?
6 O put your trust in God; •
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
and defend my cause against an ungodly people; •
deliver me from the deceitful and the wicked.
2 For you are the God of my refuge;
why have you cast me from you, •
and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresses me?
3 O send out your light and your truth, that they may lead me, •
and bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling,
4 That I may go to the altar of God,
to the God of my joy and gladness; •
and on the lyre I will give thanks to you, O God my God.
5 Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, •
and why are you so disquieted within me?
6 O put your trust in God; •
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Creator God, whose praise and power are proclaimed by the whole creation: receive our morning prayers, we pray, and renew us in your service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed
Joshua 10:1–15 (Listen)
The Sun Stands Still
10:1 As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction,1 doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, 2 he2 feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. 3 So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, 4 “Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel.” 5 Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.
6 And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, “Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us.” 7 So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. 8 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.” 9 So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. 10 And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who3 struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. 11 And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.
15 So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.
Footnotes
[1] 10:1
[2] 10:2
[3] 10:10
(ESV)
Luke 11:37–54 (Listen)
Woes to the Pharisees and Lawyers
37 While Jesus1 was speaking, a Pharisee asked him to dine with him, so he went in and reclined at table. 38 The Pharisee was astonished to see that he did not first wash before dinner. 39 And the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. 40 You fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside also? 41 But give as alms those things that are within, and behold, everything is clean for you.
42 “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and every herb, and neglect justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 43 Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. 44 Woe to you! For you are like unmarked graves, and people walk over them without knowing it.”
45 One of the lawyers answered him, “Teacher, in saying these things you insult us also.” 46 And he said, “Woe to you lawyers also! For you load people with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. 47 Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. 48 So you are witnesses and you consent to the deeds of your fathers, for they killed them, and you build their tombs. 49 Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ 50 so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, 51 from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation. 52 Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
53 As he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things, 54 lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.
Footnotes
[1] 11:37
(ESV)
The reading may be followed by a period of silence for reflection, a hymn or
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
and bear much fruit to your glory.
7 The Canticle, A Song of Redemption
Christ is the image of the invisible God:
the first-born of all creation.
For in him all things were created:
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
All things were created through him and for him:
his is before all things
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the Church:
he is the beginning, the first-born form the dead.
For it pleases God that in him
all fullness should dwell:
and through him all things be reconciled to himself.
the first-born of all creation.
For in him all things were created:
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
All things were created through him and for him:
his is before all things
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the Church:
he is the beginning, the first-born form the dead.
For it pleases God that in him
all fullness should dwell:
and through him all things be reconciled to himself.
Colossians 1:15-20
8 The Apostles' Creed may be said
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
9 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
10 The Lord's Prayer and the Collect of the Day
Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
11 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
12 The Morning Collect
Lord and heavenly Father, you have brought us safely to this new day: keep us by your mighty power, protect us from sin, guard us from every kind of danger, and in all we do this day direct us in the fulfilling of your purpose, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
13
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Philippians 4:7
1
Grace to you and peace
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:2
Glory to God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit:
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever. Amen.
2 The Opening Canticle, A Song of the Shepherd
The Lord is my shepherd:
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall make me lie down in green pastures:
and lead me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul:
and guide me in right pathways for his name's sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for you are with me,
your rod and your staff comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence
of those who trouble me:
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup shall be full.
Surely your goodness and loving-kindness
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
therefore can I lack nothing.
He shall make me lie down in green pastures:
and lead me beside still waters.
He shall refresh my soul:
and guide me in right pathways for his name's sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for you are with me,
your rod and your staff comfort me.
You spread a table before me in the presence
of those who trouble me:
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup shall be full.
Surely your goodness and loving-kindness
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23
3 The Opening Prayer
The day is now passed and the night is at hand.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence may be kept
Father of lights, receive the prayer and praise we offer you as our evening sacrifice; make us a light for all the world, delivered by your goodness from all the works of darkness; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
4 The Psalms as appointed. A pause is observed after each
1 My heart is astir with gracious words; •
as I make my song for the king,
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are the fairest of men; •
full of grace are your lips,
for God has blest you for ever.
3 Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one; •
gird on your majesty and glory.
4 Ride on and prosper in the cause of truth •
and for the sake of humility and righteousness.
5 Your right hand will teach you terrible things; •
your arrows will be sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies,
so that peoples fall beneath you.
6 Your throne is God’s throne, for ever; •
the sceptre of your kingdom is the sceptre of righteousness.
7 You love righteousness and hate iniquity; •
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
8 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia; •
from ivory palaces the music of strings makes you glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among your honourable women; •
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter; consider and incline your ear; •
forget your own people and your father’s house.
11 So shall the king have pleasure in your beauty; •
he is your lord, so do him honour.
12 The people of Tyre shall bring you gifts; •
the richest of the people shall seek your favour.
13 The king’s daughter is all glorious within; •
her clothing is embroidered cloth of gold.
14 She shall be brought to the king in raiment of needlework; •
after her the virgins that are her companions.
15 With joy and gladness shall they be brought •
and enter into the palace of the king.
16 ‘Instead of your fathers you shall have sons, •
whom you shall make princes over all the land.
17 ‘I will make your name to be remembered through all generations; •
therefore shall the peoples praise you for ever and ever.’
as I make my song for the king,
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.
2 You are the fairest of men; •
full of grace are your lips,
for God has blest you for ever.
3 Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one; •
gird on your majesty and glory.
4 Ride on and prosper in the cause of truth •
and for the sake of humility and righteousness.
5 Your right hand will teach you terrible things; •
your arrows will be sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies,
so that peoples fall beneath you.
6 Your throne is God’s throne, for ever; •
the sceptre of your kingdom is the sceptre of righteousness.
7 You love righteousness and hate iniquity; •
therefore God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
8 All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes and cassia; •
from ivory palaces the music of strings makes you glad.
9 Kings’ daughters are among your honourable women; •
at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter; consider and incline your ear; •
forget your own people and your father’s house.
11 So shall the king have pleasure in your beauty; •
he is your lord, so do him honour.
12 The people of Tyre shall bring you gifts; •
the richest of the people shall seek your favour.
13 The king’s daughter is all glorious within; •
her clothing is embroidered cloth of gold.
14 She shall be brought to the king in raiment of needlework; •
after her the virgins that are her companions.
15 With joy and gladness shall they be brought •
and enter into the palace of the king.
16 ‘Instead of your fathers you shall have sons, •
whom you shall make princes over all the land.
17 ‘I will make your name to be remembered through all generations; •
therefore shall the peoples praise you for ever and ever.’
1 God is our refuge and strength, •
a very present help in trouble;
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, •
and though the mountains tremble in the heart of the sea;
3 Though the waters rage and swell, •
and though the mountains quake at the towering seas.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, •
the holy place of the dwelling of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her;
therefore shall she not be removed; •
God shall help her at the break of day.
6 The nations are in uproar and the kingdoms are shaken, •
but God utters his voice and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; •
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
8 Come and behold the works of the Lord, •
what destruction he has wrought upon the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease in all the world; •
he shatters the bow and snaps the spear
and burns the chariots in the fire.
10 ‘Be still, and know that I am God; •
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.’
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; •
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
a very present help in trouble;
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, •
and though the mountains tremble in the heart of the sea;
3 Though the waters rage and swell, •
and though the mountains quake at the towering seas.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, •
the holy place of the dwelling of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her;
therefore shall she not be removed; •
God shall help her at the break of day.
6 The nations are in uproar and the kingdoms are shaken, •
but God utters his voice and the earth shall melt away.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us; •
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
8 Come and behold the works of the Lord, •
what destruction he has wrought upon the earth.
9 He makes wars to cease in all the world; •
he shatters the bow and snaps the spear
and burns the chariots in the fire.
10 ‘Be still, and know that I am God; •
I will be exalted among the nations;
I will be exalted in the earth.’
11 The Lord of hosts is with us; •
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
5 At the end of the (last) pause there may follow
Lord Christ, eternal Word and Light of the Father's glory: send your light and your truth that we may both know and proclaim your word of life, to the glory of God the Father; for you now live and reign, God for all eternity. Amen.
6 One or two Readings from the Bible as appointed
2 Chronicles 32:1–22 (Listen)
Sennacherib Invades Judah
32:1 After these things and these acts of faithfulness, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and invaded Judah and encamped against the fortified cities, thinking to win them for himself. 2 And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem, 3 he planned with his officers and his mighty men to stop the water of the springs that were outside the city; and they helped him. 4 A great many people were gathered, and they stopped all the springs and the brook that flowed through the land, saying, “Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?” 5 He set to work resolutely and built up all the wall that was broken down and raised towers upon it,1 and outside it he built another wall, and he strengthened the Millo in the city of David. He also made weapons and shields in abundance. 6 And he set combat commanders over the people and gathered them together to him in the square at the gate of the city and spoke encouragingly to them, saying, 7 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or dismayed before the king of Assyria and all the horde that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. 8 With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” And the people took confidence from the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.
Sennacherib Blasphemes
9 After this, Sennacherib king of Assyria, who was besieging Lachish with all his forces, sent his servants to Jerusalem to Hezekiah king of Judah and to all the people of Judah who were in Jerusalem, saying, 10 “Thus says Sennacherib king of Assyria, ‘On what are you trusting, that you endure the siege in Jerusalem? 11 Is not Hezekiah misleading you, that he may give you over to die by famine and by thirst, when he tells you, “The LORD our God will deliver us from the hand of the king of Assyria”? 12 Has not this same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, “Before one altar you shall worship, and on it you shall burn your sacrifices”? 13 Do you not know what I and my fathers have done to all the peoples of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands at all able to deliver their lands out of my hand? 14 Who among all the gods of those nations that my fathers devoted to destruction was able to deliver his people from my hand, that your God should be able to deliver you from my hand? 15 Now, therefore, do not let Hezekiah deceive you or mislead you in this fashion, and do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you out of my hand!’”
16 And his servants said still more against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah. 17 And he wrote letters to cast contempt on the LORD, the God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, “Like the gods of the nations of the lands who have not delivered their people from my hands, so the God of Hezekiah will not deliver his people from my hand.” 18 And they shouted it with a loud voice in the language of Judah to the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall, to frighten and terrify them, in order that they might take the city. 19 And they spoke of the God of Jerusalem as they spoke of the gods of the peoples of the earth, which are the work of men’s hands.
The Lord Delivers Jerusalem
20 Then Hezekiah the king and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, prayed because of this and cried to heaven. 21 And the LORD sent an angel, who cut off all the mighty warriors and commanders and officers in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he came into the house of his god, some of his own sons struck him down there with the sword. 22 So the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib king of Assyria and from the hand of all his enemies, and he provided for them on every side.
Footnotes
[1] 32:5
(ESV)
Romans 6:15–23 (Listen)
Slaves to Righteousness
15 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,1 you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Footnotes
[1] 6:16
(ESV)
The reading may be followed by a period of silence for reflection, a hymn or
May your word live in us
and bear much fruit to your glory.
and bear much fruit to your glory.
7 The Canticle, the Easter Anthems
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us:
so let us celebrate the feast,
Now with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness:
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Christ once raised from the dead dies no more:
death has no more dominion over him.
In dying, he died to sin once for all:
in living, he lives to God.
See yourselves, therefor, as dead to sin:
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christ has been raised from the dead:
the first fruits of those who sleep.
For since by one man came death:
by another has come also the resurrection of the dead,
For as in Adam all die:
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
so let us celebrate the feast,
Now with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness:
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
Christ once raised from the dead dies no more:
death has no more dominion over him.
In dying, he died to sin once for all:
in living, he lives to God.
See yourselves, therefor, as dead to sin:
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Christ has been raised from the dead:
the first fruits of those who sleep.
For since by one man came death:
by another has come also the resurrection of the dead,
For as in Adam all die:
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
8 The Prayers
Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy Lord have mercy.
9 The Lord's Prayer and the Collect of the Day
Our Father in heaven
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
10 Intercessions and Thanksgivings may be made according to local custom and need.
11 The Evening Collect
Come to visit us, Lord this night, so that by your strength we may rise at daybreak to rejoice in the resurrection of Christ your Son, who lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.
12
The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
And also with you.
Let us praise the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, says the Lord, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. Even so, come Lord Jesus. Amen.
see Revelation 22:13